


Holtzbert Week 2 - Electric Boogaloo

by Dreamshaper, maschinenmensch



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Holtzbert - Freeform, Holtzbert Week, Hurt/Comfort, Smut, The Holtzbros strike again, alternative universe, everything but the kitchen sink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-11-29 17:27:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11445585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper, https://archiveofourown.org/users/maschinenmensch/pseuds/maschinenmensch
Summary: The Holtzbros collab for a second week of Holtzbert goodness. Seven short fics involving our favorite neurotic cupcake and her quirky engineer.





	1. Roller Derby

**Author's Note:**

> Elder Holtzbro here, serving up a week's worth of craziness from our warped brains. There's a little bit of everything in here, so we hope y'all enjoy it.
> 
> Btw, if anyone catches the reference in the title, kudos to you. And also a tip of the cap, because you're probably an old like me.

Erin wanted to shut Holtzmann’s mouth closed like a steel trap.

The two of them were currently sitting in a high school gym watching a roller derby match. A client had given them free tickets, and Holtzmann had excitedly accepted them. Both Abby and Patty shrugged off attending, Abby giving Erin a knowing look when Holtzmann had winked and told the physicist “I guess it’s just you and me, hot stuff.”

Except now that they were both at the match, Holtzmann seemed to have forgotten Erin’s very existence.

As two teams skated around the track in outfits that left very little to the imagination, Holtzmann sat at the end of her bleacher seat totally enraptured, her eyes wide as saucers.

Erin would have chalked up the blonde’s behavior to simply being enthralled by the action on the floor, had it not been for the way she kept licking and biting her lips. The small groan that escaped Holtzmann when two women from opposing teams rammed into one another, both falling to the ground, limbs tangled up with each other.

Had she known Holtzmann would react this way, Erin would have rolled into the firehouse one day wearing a pair of skates and short-shorts.

Erin’s crush on the engineer was spiraling out of control, and sitting next to her making eyes at women who were younger, more fit and Erin thought bitterly, way more attractive made the physicist more jealous than she ever thought possible.

_You should have said something when she said you two were dating to Gorin, instead of denying it. Pretending you were dating Kevin. What the hell were you thinking Gilbert?_

She shook her head, remembering the browbeating she took from Abby after that incident when the two of them were finally alone. Abby had sensed almost immediately that Erin had feelings for Holtzmann, and the fact she denied them in front of the engineer’s mentor and best friend was more than Abby could bear. _You need to make this right Erin,_ the researcher had berated her. _Holtzy is really hurt._

But now she was sitting next to Holtzmann, who at the moment didn’t even seem to be aware of her presence.

Erin took note that Holtzmann seemed to be enamoured with one player in particular, a buff, heavily tattooed red-head with the moniker Fibonacci Sequins. She was the jammer for the team in yellow, and was quite simply, skating laps around the other team. When she raised her arms in triumph after a third consecutive jam in which she scored multiple passes, Holtzmann stood up and cheered. After sitting down, she turned to Erin with a grin on her face.

“Hey Er - aren’t you having any fun? This is great!”

Erin harrumphed. “Is the match great or is it just the eye candy?”

Holtzmann furrowed her brow. “What are you talking about?”

“I see you staring like a dog that has a fresh steak waving in front of them. Especially at number 69. Clever number, by the way. So mature.”

“Er? There’s nothing wrong with looking. I’m just having some fun, come on!” Holtzmann elbowed Erin in the ribs. “Don’t lie, you’re making eyes too. How can you not, these ladies are so incredibly talented and athletic and…” Holtzmann made an over-exaggerated groaning sound.

Erin had had enough.

She sprinted down the bleachers as fast as her legs would carry her, not caring about the stares of the the other spectators, not caring that her face was red from both anger and jealousy.

Not caring that Holtzmann was calling out her name, obvious concern in her voice.

At least the bathroom wasn’t far, Erin thought to herself as she rushed into said facilities, glad that none of the stalls were occupied; she entered the nearest one and locked the door behind herself, then sank down onto the toilet seat, briefly flashing back to her high school days, thinking of the times she had hid away in a bathroom back then.

Only that back then, she had been trying to avoid bullies, and not had rushed off seething with anger and jealousy.

Trying to regain her composure, Erin took a few deep breaths, knowing she had to go back out there sooner or later, and perhaps would need an explanation she could give Holtzmann for her behaviour; she wondered if there was some sort of excuse she could find, but on the other hand, she had made it quite clear that she was jealous, and she doubted the engineer would believe any other story she could make up.

 _This is your own fault_ , she chided herself, _you shot her down when she said you were dating, so can you blame her for looking elsewhere now?_

Even though this was perfectly reasonable and right, Erin couldn’t help herself, feeling angry and jealous still despite her attempts to calm down; and when she heard the door open and Holtzmann call out her name, the little bit of calm she had managed to regain was gone at once.

“Erin?” the engineer tried again when Erin didn’t respond at once; taking in a deep breath to steel herself, Erin unlocked the stall and stepped outside, gaze still heated even when it met Holtzmann’s concerned one.

“What’s going on”, Holtzmann demanded to know, either not noticing the way Erin was glaring at her or having chosen to ignore it - probably the second option, Erin thought to herself, “why are you mad at me?"

“Because you are here with me and yet you make eyes at those girls as if you want to jump them any second!” Erin shot back, crossing her arms over her chest angrily, all thoughts of trying to make some excuse forgotten, her jealousy suddenly flaring up too brightly to let her ignore it.

“Well yes, I am here with you”, Holtzmann nodded, and now, there was _something_ in her eyes Erin found hard to name, but it wasn’t concern anymore, and when she spoke on, her words made the physicist’s heart clench up.

“You made it quite clear though that we are not dating”, Holtzmann pointed out, and even though there was no malice in her voice, and she was simply stating facts, they caused a pang in Erin’s heart, “so I don’t get why you get all mad and jealous when I look at other women, it’s not like--”

Erin cut her off efficiently and unexpectedly - by grabbing her shirt, yanking her closer and kissing her, practically smashing their lips together, a surprised “hmmpf!” sound coming from Holtzmann at that development.

She was surprised for only a second though, then she kissed Erin back with the same fervour the redhead had displayed; not even fully registering that she was doing so, Holtzmann wrapped both arms around the physicist and pulled her closer, Erin’s hands sliding from where she had grabbed her shirt to her back and the back of her neck, as if in response to her embrace.

Erin couldn’t hold back a low moan when their kiss deepened, and from how Holtzmann’s arms tightened around her, she figured that the engineer had heard; she couldn’t find it within herself to feel self-conscious about it though, not with the kiss feeling as good as it did.

By the time they finally pulled apart again, Erin was flushed again, though not from anger this time, and breathing noticeably heavier; Holtzmann, on the other hand, looked a bit dazed, but smiled widely once she had regained her wits, her arms still around the other woman, her hands having come to a tender rest on her lower back.

“Wow”, she stated, earning a smile from the physicist, “can’t say I expected that, but… wow. That was really nice.”

“Agreed”, Erin nodded, then moved in for another kiss, momentarily forgetting that they were standing in the bathroom of a sports venue, only to end up blocked by Holtzmann bringing her hand up before their lips could meet again.

“Just to clarify”, the engineer said, a hint of mischief in her eyes and voice, “we _are_ dating now, right?”

“Oh my God, you dork”, Erin gave back, her exasperation making the blonde snicker, “ _yes_ , we are. Now kiss me again.”

After another snicker, Holtzmann gladly complied, and when they agreed to get out of there after that second kiss, one which was just as heated as the previous one, neither of them felt all too bad about missing the rest of the match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbro the Younger here - as my Bro said, this is quite the mixed bag, so we hope you'll like it :D Thanks to our captain eevachu for hosting Holtzbert week again, we had fun doing this :D


	2. Swiss Army Knife

_ Proton guns are well and good, but sometimes, you need the Swiss army. _

Erin had saved their lives, and she had done it with the Swiss army knife Holtzmann had given her.

The engineer thought back to this moment a lot, a pleasant tingle in her belly each time she remembered the look Erin had given them when she had held the knife up and had said what Holtzmann could only refer to as “badass one-liner”. 

She thought of this moment again now, as well, as Dr Gorin wandered from one piece of equipment to the next, studying her work in stoic silence; every now and then, she’d glance at Erin, the redhead unaware of the brief looks Holtzmann sent her way at irregular intervals, talking to Abby about the new book they had written together.

As Dr Gorin took a closer look at the proton packs, Holtzmann thought of other moments she’d shared with Erin, of the way the physicist had looked at her when she had made her toast at the bar, of how Erin had pretty much slumped into her arms after Abby and she had been pulled from the portal, and of how it sent a jolt through her each time the physicist touched her, no matter if said touch was on purpose or accidental.

She preferred the touches on purpose, of course, but she’d take what she could get - because, she thought to herself as she watched Erin smile and laugh at something Abby had said, she wanted Erin so much that it hurt, and not just in the physical sense, so any kind of touch was welcome. 

She wanted Erin so much that it hurt, but she had never been good with emotions, and certainly not with speaking about them, the toast had been difficult enough, so she doubted that she’d ever bring up the courage to tell Erin about her feelings for her, too frightened that she’d end up rejected and that she’d destroy the friendship they had built ever since Erin had stormed into the lab at Higgins.

Holtzmann hadn’t been exaggerating when she had told the other three that she never had had a friend until she’d met Abby, and she didn’t want to ruin what she had with Erin, even if it meant that Erin would never know what she felt for her and that all touch would be platonic, no matter if on purpose or on accident.

“Guys!” Patty tore her out of her thoughts, and made Dr Gorin turn and look at her, as well, with a raised eyebrow at the interruption of her work, “you have to come up to the roof and check this out!”

Almost automatically, Holtzmann looked to her mentor, both to invite her and to more or less get her permission; Gorin just gave a brief nod, then a short, tight smile, and after a bright beam back at her, Holtzmann practically jumped up the stairs, despite her mentor calling out to her that she should be careful. 

“Check this out”, Patty said, smiling from ear to ear as she gestured at the nightly New York skyline; and a moment later, Holtzmann could tell why she was smiling like this, unable to hold back a grin of her own as she took in the sight.

Using the lights of their homes and offices, the people of NY had spelled out messages for them; and all of them were messages of love and support, the four women just standing in silence for a while and studying the display, all of them deeply touched. 

“Wow”, Erin was the first to break the silence, and even though she had said one short word, Holtzmann could tell that her voice was close to cracking, but the smile on the physicist’s face showed that it wasn’t from negative emotions; next to her, Patty nodded in excitement, then slung one arm around the smaller woman’s shoulders while Abby put hers around Holtzmann and the other across Erin’s back, the four of them ending up in a chain of hugs, Holtzmann’s smile only widening at how good and right this felt. 

They’d stayed like that for several minutes, embracing each other in silence, enjoying the gratitude of hundreds of people with whom they’d never met. For Holtzmann, she had never felt so appreciated in her life. All of her struggles, all of the past experiences so painful that she’d pushed them way, way down inside of her, were worth it. Not just for this unexpected show of love and support, but also for the way Erin’s hand brushed against the arm Holtzmann had draped over Abby’s shoulder. The way the physicist’s eyes were so vibrantly blue when she glanced over to look at her, a broad smile on Erin’s face.

One-by-one, the women slowly turned to descend back down to the firehouse, until it was just Holtzmann and Erin remaining on the rooftop. Holtzmann was still so caught up in a flurry of intense emotions, she failed to register that Erin too had turned toward the stairs. She paused, calling over her shoulder.

“Holtz? You ok?”

Erin’s voice startled the blonde, still processing the feelings which overwhelmed her. Without thinking, she blurted out the one thing she had been unable to get out of her head for countless days.

“My swiss army knife. You used it.”

Holtzmann felt a hand on her shoulder, Erin returning to stand next to her, gazing at the skyline before them.

“Of course I did Holtzmann. You - you all were in trouble. I’d do anything for you. All of you.”

Holtzmann glanced over to see Erin had pulled the swiss army knife out of the pocket of her jeans, twirling it around nervously in her hands. The physicist stared intently at it, as if she was afraid to look Holtzmann in the eyes. 

“You’re not the only one who felt like the they didn’t have a family.” Erin’s voice became so quiet Holtzmann had to lean closer to hear her. “You’re not the only one who’s been shown love recently.”

Holtzmann swallowed, overwhelmed by emotion. She clasped Erin’s hands in her own, running her thumb over the slightly pocked red plastic of the knife. Her thumb brushed against Erin’s knuckles, and the engineer swore she felt the other woman tremble.

“It was my dad’s, you know?”

“Huh?” Erin looked up at Holtzmann, taking a sharp breath when she noticed the tears beginning to fall down the younger woman’s cheeks.

“The knife. It was my dad’s. He gave it to me when I was eleven.” Holtzmann exhaled shakily, preparing to talk about something she rarely thought about, much less spoke out loud due to the pain.

“He died in a car accident when I was thirteen.”

Despite her best efforts, a strangled sob escaped from Holtzmann’s closed lips. She felt herself being drawn into an embrace, staining Erin’s plaid shirt with hot tears.

“Shhhh, Holtzy. I’m so sorry. So sorry.”

Holtzmann wrapped her arms around Erin’s waist, enjoying the closeness, despite the ache she felt in her heart.  Erin ran her fingers through her hair for comfort, the feeling of such intimacy making the blonde feel slightly woozy. When she pulled away, she noticed Erin still had her arms draped over her shoulders firmly, as if she didn’t want to let go.

Their faces were inches apart, so close Holtzmann could smell the orange Erin had eaten as a snack that afternoon, see the small gold flecks amidst the blue of the physicist’s eyes.

“Why?’

Erin’s voice was husky and full of concern, causing a tingling feeling in the pit of Holtzmann’s stomach.

“Why what?”

“This knife means so much to you.” Erin removed her hand holding the knife from Holtzmann’s shoulder, the engineer reaching for it once again. This time she didn’t hesitate rubbing gentle circles on Erin’s knuckles with her thumb.

“Why would you give it to me Holtzmann?”

Holtzmann had pondered this question both before and after she had gifted the precious momento. And she knew there was only one answer.

“I’ve never felt anything like the way I feel for you Erin.” Holtzmann closed her eyes, bracing herself for the storm to come.

“I think I love you.”

She waited, expecting to feel Erin pull apart from her, for the physicist to run, or worse, reject her openly.

What she wasn’t expecting was soft lips capturing her own.

Holtzmann froze, unsure of how to react, if this was even reality. But when she felt Erin’s tongue seeking entrance into her mouth, she broke. She pulled Erin close to her, their bodies touching, their hands holding the swiss army knife pressed between them.

It was the best kiss Holtzmann had ever experienced.

When they pulled away, she noticed tears pooling in Erin’s eyes. It took Holtzmann a moment to realize she had started to cry once again.

“Erin -”

The physicist pressed a finger against Holtzmann’s lips, silencing the engineer.

“This has to be the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me Holtz. And I’m moved beyond words.”

Erin pressed her forehead against Holtzmann’s, taking a deep breath before she spoke again.

“I don’t think I love you Holtzy. I know I do.”

They kissed again, softly, taking their time. 

For the first time in her life, Holtzmann felt content. Happy.

Afterward, Holtzmann again rested her head on Erin’s shoulder, the physicist running her fingers through soft, blonde curls.

“Hey Erin?”

“Yeah, Holtz?”

“That knife saved my life in more ways than one.”

“Mine too, Holtzmann. Mine too.”


	3. Movie Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parts of this are NSFW ;)

“Okay, it’s six”, Patty declared as she snatched the book from Erin’s hands, earning an indignant “Hey!” from the physicist, “enough work! It’s Friday night, so you know what that means.”

“I wasn’t done yet”, Erin protested half-heartedly, already knowing it wouldn’t lead anywhere; Patty gave her a  _ look _ , and the redhead sighed as she gave in at once, raising her hands in defeat.

“At least give my book back”, she said instead of trying to argue back, “so I can put in a bookmark!”

Patty would have none of that though, shaking her head at once - Erin had tried that before, only to end up working some more, one time, it had gone so far that Patty had actually hidden the book she had been using back then - and raising the book over her head, safely out of Erin’s reach, smirking at how the physicist pouted in response.

“You’ll get it back soon enough”, she then promised, “now go get your girlfriend so we can have dinner. Abby and I already ordered, it should be here any minute.”

“Okay”, Erin sighed, smiling though as she got up from her seat; Holtzmann and she hadn’t been dating for long, it was all quite new and exciting, and hearing someone else refer to the engineer as “your girlfriend” never failed to make Erin smile.

She stretched, grimacing a bit at how her back cracked, then made her way to the stairs leading up to Holtzmann’s lab; the engineer was as much a workaholic as Abby and Erin herself were, and so, the physicist wasn’t surprised to find her girlfriend -  _ her girlfriend  _ \- still working on one of her projects, music playing in the background, the younger woman unaware of Erin’s presence as she hummed along to the music and swayed her hips.

For a few seconds, Erin just stood at the top of the stairs, and watched; this relationship was new, and so far, they hadn’t done much more than make out either on the couch in Holtzmann’s lab or on the one in Erin’s apartment, the physicist not quite feeling ready for doing more than that, but as Holtzmann moved to the music, she felt her mouth go dry and a certain area of her body tingle.

Eager to get herself under control again, Erin took in a slow, deep breath; then, she said “Hey, Holtz”, and the engineer turned to look at her at once, the way her face lit up with a bright smile making Erin’s heart sing.

“Hey babe”, the blonde said, putting the screwdriver on the workdesk, “is it six already?”

“Yes”, Erin nodded, finding herself unable to stop smiling, “I didn’t notice either, until Patty literally took my book away. She wouldn’t even give it back to let me put in a bookmark!”

“Aw, poor baby”, Holtzmann gave back as she moved to where Erin was standing, leaning in for a brief, but tender kiss; this was not so new anymore, but this time, it had an additional effect on Erin, namely the tingle in certain regions coming back, and the physicist swallowed heavily, cursing her libido for doing this to her - why did this have to happen now, she thought to herself, when they would have dinner with the other two and when said dinner would be followed by the Ghostbusters movie night?

_ Why today _ , she lamented as Holtzmann practically hopped over to the firepole and slid down, the way this accentuated the muscle of her arms not exactly helping with getting said libido under control; she took in a few more deep breaths as she walked down the stairs, smiling again when she found Holtzmann waiting for her there, the engineer beaming back at her.

“Let’s go find out what Abberoo and Pattycakes ordered”, she then said, holding her arm out to Erin and making her giggle with the gesture and with what she said next, “my Lady? Let me guide you to a hopefully fine and nourishing dinner.”

“Did you slide through a time warp on the way down the pole?” Erin wanted to know as she took Holtzmann’s arm; the engineer just grinned at her, then kissed her once more before they walked to the kitchen together, Abby and Patty already waiting for them, ready for a night of relaxation and fun.

* * *

“So what’s on the docket tonight Abs?”

Holtzmann leaned back on the firehouse’s leather couch after putting her empty plate next to the pizza box on the coffee table. The four women had spent the last half hour devouring their pizza while having an easy dinner conversation punctuated with laughter and silliness. Abby grabbed a DVD case that was resting behind her on the easy chair in which she sat, and presented it with a flourish.

“Goonies!”

“Damn, I haven’t seen that in forever! What’s the name of that one kid in this? The inventor? Short Round?”

Abby laughed and shook her head. “His name is Data, Patty. The same actor played Short Round in an Indiana Jones movie.”

While the banter continued between the two women, Erin noticed that Holtzmann had stiffened next to her on the couch, a blank expression on her face.

“Holtz?” She reached tentatively for her girlfriend’s arm. “You ok?”

“Yeah.” Holtzmann turned to her with a forced smile on her face. 

“Do you not like the movie, or…”

“No, I love this movie,” the blonde replied, her voice sounding strained. She looked down and her hands, intertwined and fidgeting. 

“I love it.” Holtzmann whispered.

Erin decided not to press the issue, knowing that when something was bothering Holtzmann, it was often times better to let her process her feelings first. Asking too many questions could make the engineer shut down, and Erin knew it was best to give her girlfriend a little space.

Abby rose to insert the DVD into the player, dimming the lights in the firehouse’s common area before resuming her seat. Erin slid her arm around Holtzmann’s shoulders, smiling when the blonde drew closer to her, snuggling into her chest.

Erin had never seen the movie ( _ “Really Gilbert? Did you see any non-Disney movies as a kid?” Abby jokingly chastised _ ), and became engrossed in it. Still, she noticed that while Holtzmann was paying attention, her reactions were muted, especially for a film that the younger woman claimed she loved and seemed up her alley. Erin idly played with Holtzmann’s hair, her fingers twirling itself in loose curls, a contented sigh escaping the engineer’s lips. 

When the movie wrapped up, the couple remained snuggled up on the couch. Both Abby and Patty smiled knowingly at them, saying their goodbyes before departing for the evening. When the door closed behind them, Holtzmann shifted, scooting out of Erin’s embrace to sit on the edge of the couch, her head in her hands. Erin placed a hand on the small of her back and waited. It was several minutes before Holtzmann finally spoke.

“I love Goonies, It was one of my favorite movies as a kid. So was Star Wars. And Labyrinth. And War Games. And a whole bunch of other things. I had them all on VHS. I watched them religiously.” Holtzmann rubbed her face with shaky hands. When she turned to look at Erin, the physicist was shocked by how tired her girlfriend looked. She seemed to have aged instantly. 

“My dad was an alcoholic, Erin. And one day he was pissed at me. Who knows why - I probably didn’t even do anything. He was just drunk and unsatisfied with his life and decided to take it out on his only child.” Holtzmann shivered before continuing. 

“He dragged out my movie collection and proceeded to stomp on every single cassette. Every single one. He made me watch as he destroyed my escape from my miserable reality.”

“And when he was done and he saw me crying, he slapped me so hard he gave me a black eye. I had to tell my teachers I fell down the basement stairs.”

“Oh, Holtz.” Erin kneaded Holtzmann’s shoulder, wishing she could take some of the pain away.

“Tonight was the first time I’d seen any of those movies I’d once owned since that day. And it just brought everything back.”

Erin drew Holtzmann to her, the engineer sniffling against her chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around her back. She rocked back and forth slowly, humming softly until Holtzmann’s whimpering subsided. When her girlfriend pulled back, Erin wiped the tears on Holtzmann’s cheeks away with her thumbs, giving her a short but passionate kiss when she was done.

She felt a longing. Not just physical. But that she longed to make Holtzmann whole. To make her feel loved and worthy.

Erin leaned forward and kissed her again, pouring all her passion and love into this simple action. She felt Holtzmann respond in-kind. Before she knew it, she was nibbling behind the blonde’s ear, Holtzmann’s hands running up and down underneath her shirt, goosebumps forming wherever flesh met flesh. 

“Holtz,” Erin’s voice was tempered with love and wanting, the low timber of her tone directly next to Holtzmann’s ear causing the woman to tremble.

“Holtz, let me make you feel better. Baby, let me love you.”

The younger woman pulled back, and for a moment, Erin was afraid she had pushed too far. Taken a vulnerable moment and turned it into something wanton and needy. 

Holtzmann licked her lips, her blue eyes intense.

“I’m yours, Erin. Take me.”

She didn’t remember how they had gotten upstairs to the bed Holtzmann used in the spare room for the nights she stayed late. All Erin knew was that every second their lips were apart felt like eons. That there was a trail of their clothing from the bottom of the staircase, to the pair of boxers and panties that were now discarded at the foot of the bed.

All Erin could feel was Holtzmann’s soft skin as she lay on top of her, kissing her passionately. She brushed her thigh between her girlfriend’s legs and felt slick heat and heard a soft mew. And Erin knew she had to make Holtzmann forget the terrible things in her past. 

Erin knew she had to show Holtzmann how much she loved her.

She peppered kisses down Holtzmann’s neck, to her collarbones, then her chest. She took a pebbled nipple between her lips and sucked, noting how her girlfriend arched her back off the bed, the soft, high-pitched way she moaned her name.

She was never very comfortable with taking control in bed, but it felt right to her. Erin knew this was what Holtzmann needed more than anything.

And Erin would give it to her.

She trailed her hand down a flat stomach and coarse curls, groaning against Holtzmann’s nipple when she felt the amount of wetness coating her fingers. Just then, the engineer gripped her hair, pulling her up for a sloppy, intense kiss. Holtzmann mumbled words against her lips that would sear itself in her memory for the remainder of her days.

“Erin. Please. Make me yours.”

Erin did.

When after a of period time Erin couldn’t care to quantify, she felt Holtzmann’s hips buck against her hand, a slight trembling in the velvety heat around her fingers, Erin said the words Holtzmann had been longing to hear.

“Let go Holtzmann. Just feel.”

“Come for me, baby.”

Holtzmann did.

And Erin had never felt so humbled. 

Much later, as the sun peaked through the cheap plastic blinds, Erin stroked Holtzmann’s hair, now loose around her shoulders, her usual hairdo long come undone. 

“I love you, you know?”

Holtzmann’s voice was small, sleepy, but the force of her conviction made tears spring to Erin’s eyes. She placed a sweet kiss on the blonde’s forehead before responding.

“I love you too, Holtzmann. It’s going to be ok.”

Erin noted how Holtzmann finally nodded off with a smile on her face, her body fully relaxed.

It was going to be ok.


	4. Laundry Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit NSFW, too ;)

Holtzmann was just trying to be helpful.

For weeks Erin had mulled over painting her living room, bored of the wall’s muted gray tone. Sure, she didn’t spend much time in there, what with the Ghostbusters keeping her busy most days. It was still depressing though when she’d come home to basically a wall full of blah.

Holtzmann watched Erin with amusement as she sorted through paint cards with Abby and Patty. She had been to every home improvement store in a five-mile radius, looking over paint samples, trying to find the one that she thought best suited her apartment. Finally, after many days of fretting, Erin had made her decision.

“Lily Lavender?” Holtzmann squinted at the paint card Erin had handed her, the square a shade of light purple. “That sounds…”

“What, Holtzmann?” Erin’s worry lines crinkled her forehead.

“It sounds, um, dumb?”

Erin snatched the card out of Holtzmann’s hand. “Well, who asked you, anyway?”

“You did.” The engineer winked, causing Erin’s already flushed face to turn even redder. “I mean c’mon Gilbert. I’d think after having walls the color of sadness all these years you’d pick something better than a washed-out eggplant.”

Erin made a “hmph-ing” sound and spun on her heel, briskly walking back to her desk. Holtzmann felt guilty immediately, knowing she had perhaps teased the physicist a little too much.

It was difficult for her. She found Erin Gilbert absolutely irresistible.

_ So instead of telling her that you like her as more than a friend, you tease and flirt with her. Grow a pair Holtz. _

Holtzmann swallowed before approaching Erin, who had now sat down at her desk. She angrily flipped through a magazine, ignoring the blonde completely.

“Hey, Erin?”

“What?” Erin’s head snapped up, still exasperated.

“The magazine is upside down.”

The physicist looked down at the periodical, seeing that it was indeed, upside-down. She tossed the magazine on top of her desk. Holtzmann swore she saw Erin crack a faint smile. 

“I’m sorry, Er. I was just teasing ya. How about I make it up to you?” Holtzmann sat on the corner of the desk, turning her body so she faced Erin.

“How’s that?”

“Well, when are you planning on painting with Lily?”

Erin snorted. “I was planning on Saturday morning.”

“Well, it’s a good thing most of my clothing is already paint-splattered or grease-stained. I’ll come help.”

“Oh Holtz, I couldn’t…”

“Nonsense.” Holtzmann waved her hand dismissively. “Name the time and I’ll even bring bagels with me.”

“Nine o’clock?”

“Nine it is then.” Holtzmann slid off the desk and winked, skipping back to her workbench, feeling Erin’s eyes following her the entire way.

Holtzmann hated painting. But for Erin? She’d paint her entire apartment.

* * *

It didn’t even take half an hour for Holtzmann to remember  _ why _ she hated painting. 

The smell of the paint was a big reason, she realized as she dunked the roll into the bucket of paint again, then moved to paint a stripe down the wall; it just smelled bad, and it made her dizzy, and with her lack of height, she couldn’t reach all the way to the ceiling, so Erin went to find her a ladder.

And on said ladder she stood now, even though it was a bit wobbly, and painted, Erin working on the opposite wall, having her own bucket of Lily Lavender - and didn’t that just sound wrong, Holtzmann thought to herself, even though she had to admit it was sort of a nice colour after all.

“That looks nicer on your wall than I thought it would”, she said those thoughts out loud, holding back her dismay about the smell of the painting and the act of painting itself though - Erin had asked her a dozen times if she really wanted to do this, if she was sure she had nothing better to do, so if she’d say now that she hated this, surely, the physicist would send her home.

“Thank you”, Erin beamed, lowering her own tool and turning to look at her, “I’m glad you… Holtzmann, what are you doing?!"

The outcry was easily explained - Holtzmann was using a trick she had seen painters do before, namely walking with the ladder, so she wouldn’t have to climb down, move it and climb back up onto it; unlike painters though, she had no real practice doing that, and so, it was no surprise that she started to wobble, then fell, Erin crying out when she saw the engineer lose her balance.

And not only did Holtzmann fall, but the bucket of paint did, too, splattering her from head to toe.

“Lily Lavender!” Holtzmann cried out dramatically as she laid on the floor, clutching her chest, “how could you betray me so!”

“Holtzmann!” Erin cried again, rushing to the engineer’s side, “are you okay?! Did you hurt yourself?”

“Nah, I’m good”, the blonde told her, sitting up, paint dripping to the floor, “just covered in Lily Lavender.”

“You better shower before this dries on your skin”, Erin advised, the task at hand forgotten as she dropped her paint roll into the bucket, “just leave your clothes outside the tub, I’ll throw them into the washing machine for you. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine, Erin”, Holtzmann reassured her, smiling a bit as she came to her feet, touched by the redhead’s concern, “I’ve taken worse falls. I’ve also been in front of worse poofs. You’re right about the shower though.”

Erin still looked worried, but nodded, leading the way to the bathroom; she turned her back as Holtzmann undressed, not wanting to ogle her, and only once she had heard the engineer pull the shower curtain close and the water had started to run, she turned back, collecting the younger woman’s clothes and letting her know she’d be right back before she headed downstairs to the laundry room.

When she came back to the apartment, there was no sound of running water, and she wondered if Holtzmann had gotten done again… and just when that thought had been fully formed in her mind, the engineer walked out of the bathroom.

In nothing but her underwear.

Erin could feel sweat break out on her forehead as her heart started to race and her cheeks heated up, and she knew she was flushing, cursing herself for reacting so visibly whenever she found someone attractive; she wondered if Holtzmann would be able to tell what she was feeling, remembering that she had reacted the same when Kevin had walked into their old lab for the first time, and Holtzmann had been there, and had seen it all.

“It’s so hot, right”, Holtzmann said, apparently blaming said heat for Erin’s flushed face and the sweat on her brow, “I think I’ll just stay like this until my clothes are clean. Thanks for tossing them in by the way.”

“Stay like that?” Erin squeaked, blush deepening, “in your… in your underwear?”

“Yah”, Holtzmann said lightly, stretching as if to make sure Erin got the best view possible, and the physicist couldn’t look away, stunned by how well defined the blonde’s abs actually were - with the baggy clothing and many layers Holtzmann always seemed to wear, she never had fully realized that the engineer was in quite the good shape, “you don’t mind, do you?”

“N-no”, Erin gave back, trying hard to sound normal, but hearing her voice come out an octave higher than usual, having to clear her throat before she could continue, “I mean, if you prefer that, sure, but, I can lend you something, you know…”

“I’m good”, Holtzmann said again, smiling at her, appearing as if she was perfectly unaware of the effect she had on Erin, “shall we get back to work, then?”

She turned, and Erin’s eyes travelled down her back, following the line of her spine to her behind, and even though she was wearing boxers, Erin could tell that said behind was just as well-defined as her abs; and before she could stop herself, and think about possible consequences, she got moving.

Holtzmann heard her approach, and just had time to turn back and look at her, then Erin was grabbing her shoulders and pushed her back, until her back hit the wall, her eyes going wide, but before she could say something, Erin’s mouth was on hers, muffling the surprised noise she let out.

She was surprised for about a second, then she kissed Erin back, barely able to believe her luck, and that disbelief only grew when she felt one of Erin’s hands glide down her body, until it landed on her butt and gave a firm squeeze.

“Whoa Erin”, she mumbled once they had pulled apart again and Erin was lowering her head to kiss her throat, “if I had known this would happen, I would have walked around in my underwear months  _ shit _ !” 

This time, she had cried out, and it had been caused by Erin, by the physicist biting down on the sensitive skin of her throat, not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to send a flash of pleasant pain right to her core.

“Like that, do you”, Erin mumbled against her throat, surprising Holtzmann with how fierce and in control she was when she pressed herself against the smaller woman, “good to know.”

She kissed Holtzmann again, and as their tongues met, Holtzmann could feel Erin’s hand move again, from her butt to between her legs, the physicist pulling back again at the warm wetness she encountered there, able to feel it even through the fabric of Holtzmann’s boxers.

“You really like that”, she said, sounding a bit surprised now, “wow.”

“Erin”, Holtzmann groaned in response, hips twitching when Erin pushed her hand up a bit, just enough to put pressure on her clit, “I don’t think there is anything you could do I wouldn’t like. God, I’ve wanted you for so long, I wasn’t kidding when I said I would have walked around in my underwear, had I known earlier it would lead to that.”

“The want is mutual”, Erin reassured her, then made her gasp by sliding her hand inside Holtzmann’s boxers and dragging her index and middle finger through her wet folds; she had a moment to wonder if Erin had done this sort of thing before - then the physicist’s thumb found her clit and started to move in slow circles, and she forgot the world around her.

“Oh shit, oh fuck”, she babbled, unable to form a coherent thought as Erin increased her efforts, pleased by the effect her touch had on Holtzmann, “oh holy shit  _ Erin _ !”

The engineer came faster than Erin had anticipated, her legs buckling, but the physicist quickly used her free hand to hold her up; she felt quite smug as she slowly pulled her hand back, and made Holtzmann groan by bringing said hand up and licking her fingers clean.

_ “Jesus”,  _ the engineer brought out, the way her voice trembled only making Erin feel more smug, “you’re killing me Erin. Literally killing me.”

“I hope not”, Erin gave back, any worries she might have had about how rashly she had acted blown away by the way Holtzmann was looking at her now, with such passion and need and perhaps even something which could be love, “cause I’m not quite done with you yet, you know.”

Holtzmann could just groan again, and Erin winked at her - before she grabbed her hand and practically dragged her into the bedroom; Holtzmann followed more than willingly though, and as the physicist pushed her onto the bed, she only had time for one coherent thought before Erin rocked her world yet again.

She really loved Lily Lavender now.


	5. Alternative Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, it's AU Trope-Ville. Surprisingly we haven't done this particular one yet, so we hope you enjoy!

With a small sigh, Dr Erin Gilbert reached up and rubbed her tired eyes; she had been working for hours already, seeing one patient after the other, and there seemed to be no end to the flow of sick or injured people, no matter how hard she worked.

It was on days like this one that she regretted having given in to her father’s constant nagging and demands all those years ago, and had become a physician like he had wanted her to; most days, she enjoyed her work, and saving lives was good and important work, but when she was working double shifts because another colleague had called in sick or had a day off, she wondered if she had made the right choices in her life.

Briefly, she thought about getting herself another coffee, but before she could act on this idea, the nurse already ushered in the next patient; she held back another sigh and made herself smile pleasantly as she asked what was bothering the middle-aged woman, giving her best to not let her tiredness show while the lady explained her symptoms and where it hurt.

Her father had been a respected doctor in the community, and had done some groundbreaking research back in the day; he had lacked compassion and kindness though, and while Erin had given in after all and had gone to med school, more or less choosing the same career path he had chosen, she wanted to be better to her patients than he had been to hers, kinder and more compassionate, a doctor people would like to speak to and wouldn’t be terrified of.

And so, she always gave her best to be kind, and friendly, and easily approachable, even when she was tired; at least with her current patient, she apparently had done a good job, since the woman looked somewhat calmed down and even managed a smile when Erin wrote a prescription for her. 

Again, she thought of coffee, and again she had to wait because the nurse apparently wasn’t willing to let her have a break; later though, much later, she’d be absurdly grateful, even though she had no idea how much her life would change soon when the next patient walked in.

“Heya doc”, the woman, younger than her, with a haphazard mess of blonde curls on top of her head and in a strange clothing combination which shouldn’t look good on anyone, but somehow did on her said, before she could say something, “I’d shake your hand, but that’s sorta the problem here. Holtzmann, nice to meet you.”

She held up said hand, a bandage sloppily wrapped around it, blood dripping through it already, and Erin fought the urge to grimace; if blood had to be cleaned up after this patient, she told herself, she could finally get that coffee, and so, she smiled at the woman as she introduced herself.

“Dr Erin Gilbert”, she introduced herself, not making a move to shake the blonde’s hand, “please, sit down here, so we can take a look at this.”

Holtzmann hopped up onto the examination table Erin had pointed out to her, while the doctor pulled on some fresh rubber gloves; then, she carefully peeled off the bandage, grimacing when she saw that it had gotten stuck to the wound a bit, but Holtzmann didn’t seem all too perturbed, even looking interested as she watched.

“Oooh”, she let out once the bandage had been removed and the deep slash across her palm was revealed, Erin wondering how that had happened, “it looks even more gross now with all the dried blood. Wait, lemme snap a pic for Abby before you do anything!”

“Okay?” Erin gave back, not sure what to think of this - the cut looked deep, and fairly painful, but the blonde didn’t seem all too bothered, only a bit annoyed when she apparently had trouble with getting her phone out of her pocket.

“I’m supposed to be a genius”, she finally gave up, with an apologetic look at Erin, “but my left hand has the IQ of wet bread. Could you get my phone outta my pocket for me?”

Erin should say No, and she knew she should, that it would be the proper and professional thing to do - kindness and compassion only went so far, after all - and it certainly wouldn’t be professional to fish around in her patient’s pocket for her phone, even the kindest doctor on the planet would probably so No to that.

She was quite surprised when she found herself nodding and carefully moved her hand into Holtzmann’s pocket, the blonde beaming at her as she pulled the phone out for her.

“Thanks doc”, she said, quickly snapping a few pictures of her injured hand, making sure to get a proper close-up of the wound and the blood, to Erin’s amusement, “I gotta say, you got quite the nimble fingers there. Nice.”

_ Is she flirting with me?  _ Erin felt herself flush at this thought, and cursed her face’s tendency to redden whenever something made her feel even remotely embarrassed, or flattered, or both; she cleared her throat, but still sounded a bit squeaky when she replied “thank you?”, earning another toothy grin from the blonde.

“So tell me”, Erin tried to get the talk back to something less blush-inducing, “how did this happen? That’s quite the nasty cut you got there, you’re gonna need stitches.”

As she spoke, she readied everything she’d need to treat the wound; she figured that her patient would lose her calm demeanor once she’d start disinfecting, knowing how much that would hurt, but to her surprise, Holtzmann spoke on normally even when Erin started cleaning the wound, not appearing as if she was in pain the slightest.

“Oh, a medium poof happened”, the younger woman let her know, holding remarkably still as Erin worked on the cut, “I’m a nuclear engineer at Higgins, one of my babies got offended at the work I was doing and poofed at me and I got cut. Good thing that happened today though, cause it led to me being treated by such a pretty, charming doctor.”

_ No, she’s definitely flirting with me _ . Erin tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, but it was hard when the patient was attractive in an oddly appealing way, grinning at her as she gave her a numbing shot in her wrist.

“Say, how long is that shot gonna last? I promised Abby I’d make pizza for her tonight, and I kinda need two hands for that.”

“You might want to order in Ms. Holtzmann.”

“Just Holtzmann is fine, Dr. E. Or Holtz. Don’t matter.”

Normally Erin would be annoyed at a patient referring to her in such a familiar way. But for whatever reason, the doctor found herself smiling in spite of herself. 

“Ok then Holtzmann. This is going to take three stitches to close up. If you can keep your hand as still as possible, I’d appreciate it.”

“Sure thing.”

Erin noted as she stitched Holtzmann’s hand up with precise needlework that while the other woman kept her hand still, she couldn’t stop swinging her legs from atop the examination table. She thought better to mention it, figuring Holtzmann was most likely doing it out of nervousness or pain.

“There. All better.”

Holtzmann wiggled her fingers as she inspected her now stitched up wound. “Looks great doc! I can’t wait to see what kind of awesome scar I end up with.”

“Well, if want to lessen the possibility of a scar, you can…”

“No, no.” Holtzmann shrugged on the worn leather jacket she had thrown over a chair prior to her examination. “Scars are awesome. It’ll match all the other ones I’ve got in various places on my body.”

When the blonde winked at her, Erin felt her knees go slightly weak.

_ What is  _ wrong _ with you Gilbert?! _

“Well, um. Keep the wound clean, and you’ll need to come back to the clinic in about a week to get the stitches removed.”

“Sounds, good. Hey -” Erin watched as Holtzmann plucked a tongue depressor out of a jar on a nearby counter, whipped a market out of one of her jacket’s inner pockets and started to write on the wooden stick.

“What are you doing?”

Holtzmann grinned before handing the tongue depressor to a flustered Erin. “My digits. In case you wanna make a house call. I’d love to see you without that medical coat on sometime. Later, doc.”

Holtzmann bowed before skipping out of the office, Erin left alone in the examining room, mouth agape.

_ What the hell just happened? _

* * *

“You need to take the plunge for once Erin. Call her.”

Erin stared at the mug of coffee currently warming her hands on the cafe table in front of her. Sitting across the way from her was Patty, the head nurse at the clinic. The two women had become fast friends and tried to stop for coffee at the shop around the corner as often as their schedules would allow them.

“I don’t know Patty. It’s probably a bad idea.”

“What’s bad about it?” Patty shook her head dramatically. “You found her charming and quirky, and what was the phrase you used?”

“Positively, adorkably hot.”

“Positively, adorkably hot! C’mon girl. She’s obviously interested.”

“I just haven’t dated in so long, and I don’t have much experience with women and -”

Patty reached across the table to grab Erin’s hand. “Erin. Will you regret it if you don’t call her? It’s been two days now.”

Erin furrowed her brow, her voice barely audible over the din of the coffee shop.

“Yes.”

“Then your skinny ass needs to call her, or I’ll do it my damn self.”

* * *

Erin rarely took risks in her life, but calling Holtzmann later that evening was definitely one she hoped she wouldn’t regret later.

When the younger woman answered the phone with a cheerful “Yello?,” all Erin’s thoughts of it being a mistake faded away. 

They agreed to meet at the Central Park Zoo two days later on a late Sunday morning. Erin fretted over her appearance, settling on a comfortable red sweater to go with her jeans. She spotted Holtzmann leaning against a light post near the zoo’s entrance, clad in her leather jacket and a pair of overalls that were splattered with what Erin assumed was paint.

Holtzmann’s eyes lit up when she saw the doctor approaching her. She sauntered over, holding her hand out, a wide grin on her face when Erin greeted her with a nervous hello. 

“Hey doc. Thanks to you, my hand’s healed enough so I can properly use it to shake yours.” Erin tried to ignore the tingling in her fingers when her hand clasped the blonde’s. Holtzmann tilted her head, a pleased look spreading across her features.

“What?”

“Just as I suspected. You are much more attractive without the white coat on.”

It would be the first of many times that day that Holtzmann would make Erin blush.

The two women strolled through the zoo, easing into comfortable conversation as they learned more about one another. Erin was enthralled by Holtzmann’s research, so much so the blonde promised to show her around her lab at Higgins when Erin was free. When the doctor told her she had originally planned to major in physics in college before her father pressured her to become a medical doctor, Holtzmann frowned.

“While I’m glad you are a doctor because you’re a damn good one, I’m sad you felt pressured to give up on your dreams.”

It took a moment for Erin to realize not only had the two of them stopped walking, but that Holtzmann had also clasped her hand again. She looked down at their entwined fingers. 

_ It feels so right. _

Erin was about to reply with something more poignant than she would normally say to someone that she was just getting to know, but Holtzmann’s eyes got wide as she let loose a high-pitch squeal before she could open her mouth.

“Balloons!”

Holtzmann took off in an awkward run toward a vendor holding a bunch of animal themed balloons. Erin giggled before taking off after her. Holtzmann had already purchased a monkey shaped balloon when she noticed Erin sliding up beside her. 

“Oh crap. Do you want one too Dr. E?” 

Erin grinned. “Surprise me.”

Holtzmann plucked a penguin balloon from the vendor, tying it around the doctor’s wrist before turning back to pay the balloon man. She attached the string of her monkey balloon to the zipper of her jacket, looking up shyly at Erin when she finished.

“I hope you like Mr. Penguin.”

Erin reached again for Holtzmann’s good hand and squeezed. “I do. Thank you.”

Holtzmann’s smile made Erin feel warm from her head to her toe.

By the time the women had made a full circuit around the zoo, the closing announcements had begun. Erin could hardly believe they had spent nearly six hours together. 

_ Time flies when you’re having fun I suppose… _

The blonde walked Erin to her subway station, telling the doctor she was just a fifteen minute stroll from her apartment.

“So, uh. I had fun Doc. I’d love to see you again. If you’re interested that is. I mean…”

Erin didn’t know if it was the way Holtzmann was flustered, how she had shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and looked down at the ground. All Erin knew was her lips were on Holtzmann’s before she even realized what she was doing. It took a moment before a shocked Holtzmann responded in kind, and when she did, Erin knew she wanted to do it again and again.

“Wow, I guess that means you’d like a second date?” Holtzmann’s eyes sparkled with glee once they finally pulled apart.

“I think I’d very much like that Holtzmann.”

“I’ll call ya Dr. Erin. I mean, you never know. I might need some additional TLC for my wound here.” Holtzmann wiggled the fingers of her still bandaged hand. 

Erin giggled. “I’ll talk to you soon Holtz.”

“Count on it.”

Holtzmann gave Erin a two-fingered salute before turning and skipping down the street, the monkey balloon bobbing next to her. Erin shook her head and smiled, descending down the stairs to the subway station. She playfully booped the penguin balloon on the nose as her train approached.

_ I’ve never been thankful for a patient’s injury before, but I should thank whatever cut Holtzmann’s hand and brought her to me. _


	6. Salty Parabolas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holtzbro the Younger and I are not responsible for the cavities this schmoop will cause.

Holtzmann rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

Across the way from her in the lab, sitting at her desk while flipping idly through a physics journal, her wife was eating Pringles.

_ Pizza flavored, _ no less. 

Holtzmann remembered the first time she had offered Erin some of her salty parabolas, not long after they had moved into the makeshift headquarters above Zhu’s. Erin had wrinkled her nose and smiled politely, a  _ no thanks _ masking her disdain for the crunchy snack.

Erin would often roll her eyes when Holtzmann would load up their shopping cart with multiple tubes of Pringles, muttering under her breath that she couldn’t understand how Holtzmann could eat what she so lovingly called “garbage discs.” Hell, Holtzmann thought Erin was going to call off their wedding when she jokingly suggested they have a cake with a salty parabola topping.

So the fact she was watching her wife eat a tube a Pringles with a ferocity normally reserved for an apple perplexed Holtzmann. She approached Erin cautiously, thoughts of being in the midst of a prank flickering through her mind.

“Hey Erin? Babe?”

“Yeah?” Pringle crumbs fell out of the corner of Erin’s mouth and onto the desk below.

“Um…”

“What is it Holtzmann? I was in the middle of something.”

_ Yeesh, testy. _

“Why are you eating my salty parabolas? I thought you despised them.”

Erin shrugged. “I felt like it.”

“But Erin - they’re the pizza ones. You won’t let me give you a smooch when I eat those without brushing my teeth.”

“Then I’ll brush my teeth afterward.”

“That’s not what I meant Erin. I mean -”

The physicist gave Holtzmann  _ that look _ , which meant she had about 30 seconds to back off before Erin’s often suppressed white hot temper would make an unwelcome appearance.

“Ne - Nevermind Er. Carry on.”

Holtzmann leaned down to kiss Erin on top of her head before sauntering back to her workbench. As she tightened the screws on Patty’s proton pack, she pondered that Erin had seemed to be more irritable as of late. Holtzmann wondered if she had done something recently to spark that.

_ I’ll make it up to her tonight. Make dinner, give her a foot rub or something. I can’t have my Er-Bear being upset. _

A loud burp from the across the lab caused Holtzmann to look up. Erin was licking the Pringles dust off her fingers, the empty tube sideways on top of her desk.

_ Ok, maybe a little sexy time tonight would help too. _

* * *

Just like Holtzmann had planned, she made dinner that evening, to Erin’s obvious delight; and while the physicist had been more irritable than usual lately, this apparently was forgotten at least for the moment, Erin smiling happily and kissing the blonde when Holtzmann presented the meal she had made with a flourish.

“Aw, that is so sweet”, she said as Holtzmann pulled her chair out for her, “thank you, Holtz. And you made my favourite, too!”

“Yup, all for you”, the engineer nodded, earning another bright smile, “and after dinner, there’s the option for a foot rub. Or a backrub. Or both. Whatever you prefer, hot stuff.”

“Both sounds good”, Erin sighed, then suddenly frowned, Holtzmann feeling a bit confused when the physicist’s gaze dropped to the table next, her voice soft when she went on.

“I’ve been a bit bitchy lately, haven’t I”, she stated, her tone prompting Holtzmann to reach over the table and grasp her hand,  “and I’m sorry. It’s nothing you said or did, it’s…”

She trailed off, and shifted on the seat a bit; before Holtzmann could move from confused to worried though, the physicist smiled at her, and squeezed her hand, sounding a bit more confident when she continued once more.

“I have something for you after dinner”, she stated, “but let’s eat first, you put so much work into this, it’d be a shame if it got cold.”

“Okay”, Holtzmann agreed, even though she was eager to find out now what Erin was talking about; she knew though that the physicist wouldn’t reveal it until after dinner, and knew Erin well enough to know that poking and prodding wouldn’t help, and so, she contained her excitement, eating with record speed though, to the redhead’s amusement.

“Slow down, or you’ll get heartburn”, Erin advised when Holtzmann had eaten half of her portion in the time Erin had taken just a few bites, “it’s nothing unpleasant, I promise.”

Holtzmann gave her best to slow down in response, even though it was hard; and she still had to wait quite a bit until Erin had gotten done, groaning when the physicist asked her to give her a minute and that she’d call for her when she was ready.

“Aw man”, she whined, earning a wink from Erin and a brief smooch; then, the redhead hurried off, and Holtzmann shifted on her chair, playing with the wedding ring she wore on her necklace along with the pendant - Erin wore hers on her finger, like people usually did, but with how much work Holtzmann did with her hands, that had been deemed a safety hazard by both of them for her - and counting the seconds, nearly vibrating with excitement by the time Erin finally called out for her.

Immediately, Holtzmann shot up from her seat and rushed to the living room; there, Erin was sitting on the couch, smiling at her, and on the desk in front of her, three Pringles tubes stood, and Holtzmann was confused again, until Erin gestured at the one at the left and told her to open it.

Curious again, Holtzmann grabbed the can, noticing that it was lighter than it should be, and opened it; at first glance, it appeared to be empty, but a second, closer look revealed a piece of paper within, and her curiousness only grew as she turned the tube so the paper fell out.

She briefly glanced at Erin, then unfolded the paper; there was just a single word on it, written in the physicist’s elegant cursive, and Holtzmann only felt more confused and curious at seeing it.

_ We _

“Middle one is next”, Erin helpfully supplied; the middle can held another piece of paper, and it wasn’t helping much, only showing a single word, as well.

_ Are _

With her heart speeding up despite the lack of actual information from the pieces of paper, Holtzmann reached for the third can without Erin having to say anything; just like the other two, there was a piece of paper inside, and her hands trembled a bit when she shook it out and unfolded it, reading the single word, longer than the other two.

_ Pregnant _

Holtzmann stared.

They had been trying for a while now, but she hadn’t wanted to pressure Erin, and so, had made sure to not annoy her with endless questions if it finally had worked; and so, it came as quite the surprise for her, her eyes wide behind her glasses when she looked up again at last and her gaze met Erin’s.

“Oh my God really?” the engineer squealed, and Erin smiled widely as she nodded; Holtzmann let out a whoop which made the redhead laugh - before she tossed the Pringles can aside and practically pounced, pulling the other woman into a tight embrace.

“We’ll be parents!” Holtzmann squeaked, in a voice decidedly higher than usual, “oh my God! Erin!”

“I started to suspect when I suddenly craved your garbage discs”, Erin told her, making her snort, “and then my bad temper and everything, so I did a test and… it worked Holtz, it finally did. We’ll be Mom and Mommy Gilbert-Holtzmann.”

“Eeeeee!” Holtzmann squealed in response, making the physicist laugh again - before she pulled her in for a passionate kiss, Erin kissing her back at once and holding her close, touched by her overjoyed reaction.

“Holtz?” she said once they had pulled apart again, the engineer still grinning from ear to ear, “do me a favour?”

“Anything, my lovely muffin”, Holtzmann replied, only to snort laughter at what the physicist said next.

“Run to the store for me? I have a hankering for some salty parabolas.”


	7. Professor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, another Holtzbert week comes to a close. And in true Holtzbro fashion, we end it with absolute filth. RIP your collective pants.
> 
> Enjoy ;)

“I can’t believe you’re not nervous at all”, Erin said, with a skeptical look at her girlfriend, as if she could make her get nervous by expressing her disbelief enough, “come on Holtzmann, how long has it been since you’ve taught a class?”

“Well, technically, I was  _ supposed _ to teach classes at Higgins”, Holtzmann replied, making Erin raise an eyebrow, the physicist shaking her head at what the younger woman said next, “but I kinda sorta didn’t go there as regularly as I should. But I did help out those who were genuinely interested in the subject, so don’t scold me, love.”

“I don’t feel like scolding you”, Erin gave back, prompting the engineer to beam at her, “but I still can’t believe you’re not nervous. I’d be a trembling, anxious wreck by now, rehearsing endlessly, but then, I’m me, so…”

“Nah, I’m good”, Holtzmann told her, smiling brightly at her and almost automatically making her smile back, an effect she still had on the redhead despite the months and months they had been together now - at this point, Erin doubted that this would ever stop, and she couldn’t say that she minded, “also because there’s only gonna be people who are  _ really _ interested in the subject. I’ll waltz in there as my usual charming self, talk for an hour and a half and then waltz back out and leave them in awe.”

“I’m sure you will”, Erin told her with a smile, leaning in for a gentle kiss; and as Holtzmann practically skipped back to her workbench afterwards, she smiled to herself, a small smile full of mischief the engineer was perfectly unaware of.

Holtzmann might not be nervous yet, Erin thought to herself, but soon, she would be.

* * *

In the next morning, half an hour before her talk on the nuclear engineering behind the Ghostbusters equipment would start at Columbia University - and what an irony was that, Holtzmann thought to herself, that the university which had kicked Erin out practically had begged at her feet to make her give a talk there - she was too tired to be nervous, making a beeline for the coffee machine once she had been led to the professor’s lounge, not caring if this was viewed as odd or unseemly.

She had been unsure if she should accept the offer, she remembered as she poured herself a cup of coffee, all too aware of how badly Erin had been humiliated by this place; the physicist had reassured her that it was okay though, even had been somewhat gleeful at the idea of her girlfriend holding a talk at the very place which had dismissed her for her belief in ghosts, and so, Holtzmann had agreed to do it after all, but only once she had been sure that Erin was really okay with it.

“Dr Holtzmann”, a dry and oddly neutral voice interrupted her thoughts; she turned to look and recognized the speaker as Dr Filmore, all too aware of the role he had played about Erin’s humiliation in this place, smiling pleasantly at him as they shook hands, but gripping his hand a bit tighter than perhaps necessary.

“Welcome”, the elder man went on, smiling an obviously fake smile at her, “we’re honoured to have you here today. The big hall is all set up and ready for your guest lecture.”

“Thanks mate”, Holtzmann gave back, secretly enjoying the way she made his eyebrow twitch with how casually she spoke to him, “I appreciate it.”

“Let us know in case you need anything”, Filmore said after a moment, apparently having decided that getting into a snark contest with a guest lecturer was a bad idea, “I hear that the students are very much looking forward to your talk. Give my best to Dr Gilbert.”

“Will do”, Holtzmann told him, and after another tight smile, he turned and marched off; Holtzmann finished her coffee, then strolled off as well to find the lecture hall, figuring that it wouldn’t hurt to be on time, even if Abby kept claiming that being punctual was physically impossible for her.

To her surprise, some people were already sitting in the big hall, looking excited and whispering to each other as she strolled into the room; Holtzmann smiled at them, having a second to think about how much she would rock this talk… and then, she took a closer look at the people sitting in the first row, and nearly stumbled.

Erin was sitting among the students there, smiling innocently at her, even though her eyes sparkled with amusement at the engineer’s gobsmacked reaction.

And she was wearing the tightest blouse and shortest skirt Holtzmann knew she owned - which wasn’t very tight nor very short, it was still Erin, but it was  _ enough _ .

Holtzmann gave her girlfriend a questioning look as she walked to the desk, and Erin smiled back at her, still all innocence; the engineer wasn’t quite sure what the redhead was planning, but she figured there had to be some sort of plan, judging from the glint she could see in Erin’s blue eyes, and she was determined to roll with it, no matter what was going to happen.

Once the hall had filled and she started talking, she realized exactly how difficult this was going to be - because apparently, Erin had made it her mission to tease her as much as she could, with just the smallest, simplest gestures.

She’d wait until Holtzmann was looking at her, and then would cross her legs, making sure to give the engineer a good view of said legs in the process; there was a  _ lot _ of leg crossing going on, because Holtzmann loved all of Erin, but had a special thing for her legs, and of course Erin knew this. 

“So”, Holtzmann continued talking, giving her best to not let it show that Erin and her legs were having quite the effect on her, “with the application of the faraday cage, we managed to reduce…”

She stuttered when she made the mistake to look at Erin again and the physicist licked her lips slowly, agonizingly slow; and then, as if that hadn’t been enough, she brought her pen up to her mouth and started  _ sucking _ on it, swirling her tongue around it just enough to let Holtzmann see it, never breaking eye contact as she did so.

Holtzmann cursed herself in this moment, for having told Erin months ago how hot she looked when she chewed her whiteboard markers whenever she was deep in thought.

Holding her gaze, Erin dropped her pen so deliberately that it would have been ridiculous, had anyone else done it; the way she bent forward though to pick it up gave Holtzmann a  _ very _ good look at her cleavage, and she had to interrupt herself to take a drink of water, feeling herself sweat at the things Erin was doing and was making her think about.

She wondered what had gotten into the physicist - this was quite the un-Erin thing to do after all, the redhead usually being more shy and way too reserved to act like this, but clearly, she had forgotten that she was shy and reserved for the time being, as she crossed her legs again while Holtzmann put the glass back onto the desk.

This time, she did it so that Holtzmann could see that there was no underwear, and she nearly threw her glass over.

_ Oh Erin _ , she thought to herself as she shot the physicist a look, oddly surprised at how her cheeks were heating up - when was the last time she had blushed like this, she wondered, usually, she made Erin blush, and not the other way round, -  _ I’m gonna make you pay for this. Just wait when this lecture is over. _

Erin smiled at her, as if she could read her mind, and shifted in her seat again, and licked her lips, and Holtzmann had to hold back a groan.

This was going to be a very long lecture.

* * *

As if talking for ninety minutes in front of a packed house while her girlfriend turned her on beyond belief wasn’t bad enough, Holtzmann was mobbed by some of the students afterward. Most wanted to thank her for her presentation, some had legitimate questions about her research, and a few even wanted selfies with her. Holtzmann suffered through it graciously, noting out of the corner of her eye that Erin still remained in her seat.

_ Smirking. _

When the lecture hall had finally cleared, Holtzmann turned her back to Erin, putting her lecture notes slowly and securely in the rainbow colored backpack she had brought with her. She heard her girlfriend rise, the sound of her heels clacking on the linoleum floor. Erin put her hands on Holtzmann’s shoulders, leaned forward and breathed in her ear.

“How ya feeling, Holtzy?”

Holtzmann closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

And pounced.

The blonde spun, in one smooth motion grasping Erin by the waist and turning with her in her arms, pressing her up against the wooden desk. With a small amount of pressure, Holtzmann managed to get Erin’s butt up on the desktop, her girlfriend wrapping her long legs around her hips as she leaned forward and nuzzled her neck.

“I don’t know Erin. You tell me.”

With that Holtzmann kissed her girlfriend ferociously, biting down on Erin’s bottom lip so hard she tasted blood. Erin groaned, causing a small smile to form on Holtzmann’s lips. She knew her girlfriend liked it rough sometimes. And today she had earned it.

“Such a naughty student you were, getting me all riled up like that.” One of Holtzmann’s hands moved to cup Erin’s breast through her tight shirt, pinching her nipple. “Do you have any idea how distracting you were Ms. Gilbert?”

“No, ah yes. Fuck.”

With one swift movement, Holtzmann tugged, tearing Erin’s blouse open, neither woman caring about the buttons that flew off her shirt. The blonde roughly pushed the one of the cups of her girlfriend’s bra up, leaned forward to take an erect nipple in her mouth and sucked. Hard.

“Oh god, Holtz. Lock the door, anyone can come in and see this.”

Holtzmann stopped her ministrations and looked up at Erin, a feral grin on her face.

“Let them see.”

Holtzmann used the palm of her hand to push Erin backward, the physicist’s back flush against the desk, her legs dangling over the edge. Holtzmann placed open mouthed kisses down Erin’s body, occasionally taking the time to bite, knowing there would be marks remaining in the morning.

She wanted Erin to remember this.

After licking a stripe just above the waistline of Erin’s skirt, Holtzmann went to her knees, slowly pushing the skirt up. She grabbed Erin’s hips and positioned her so her center was right in front of her face. Holtzmann breathed in her girlfriend’s scent, closing her eyes, knowing how much she craved the way Erin tasted.

“Goddammit, Holtzmann. Get on with it!”

“You made me wait almost two hours. You can wait a tiny bit longer.”

Holtzmann dragged a finger lightly through Erin’s soaked folds, relishing the low moan her girlfriend made in response.

“Hmm, that lecture made me really hungry. I guess you won’t mind if I eat out.”

“Jeez, Holtz. Must you be so corny at a time like this - ohhhhh fuck.”

Holtzmann used the tip of her tongue to flick at Erin’s clit before moving it in slow circles around her most sensitive area. She felt her girlfriend’s hands move to tug on her hair, her legs lifting up so they rested on Holtzmann’s shoulders. The engineer saw this as an invitation.

She _ feasted. _

Erin’s moans became louder the longer she worked. As she shifted her tongue to her entrance, intermittently moving it inside to lap at her juices, she could feel Erin was close. Her thighs were closing around Holtzmann’s head, her breathing became more irregular. 

So Holtzmann moved to take Erin’s clit in her mouth and sucked, inserting one finger inside of her as she did so.

Erin broke.

“HOLTZ. JESUS.” 

The physicist put her fist in her mouth and bit down, her cries muffled somewhat. Holtzmann continued to pump her finger slowly inside Erin as she rode her orgasm out, making sure she licked her clean. Once she knew her girlfriend had mostly come down from her high, Holtzmann stood up, her finger still inside Erin. She leaned forward and kissed the physicist sloppily, knowing that Erin loved to taste herself on Holtzmann's lips.

“God Holtz, that was…”

“Who said I was finished? Someone has a problem paying attention.”

Holtzmann inserted a second finger inside Erin, and began to push them in and out at a faster pace. Erin let loose a strangled cry, Holtzmann kissing her again to dampen the sound. 

“You know what I want from you baby?” The blonde bit down on Erin’s earlobe after posing her question, enjoying the mewing sounds emanating from her girlfriend.

“What Holtz? Anything.” Erin’s voice was breathy, almost pained. Holtzmann felt the inside of her boxers get decidedly damper at the timbre of her speech.

Holtzmann stopped pumping her fingers for a moment, using her free hand to grasp Erin’s chin so she looked directly in her eyes.

“I want you to call me Professor when you come for me.”

“Oh goddddd.”

Holtzmann added a third finger and resumed fucking Erin, knowing it wouldn’t be long before she’d screaming for the second time in a matter of minutes.

“Oh. Oh god.”

“Is it good? Tell me baby.”

Erin’s eyes were hooded, her pupils blown. “So good. It’s so good professor. Can I come for you?”

Holtzmann closed her eyes and groaned, the scenario making her legs weak. She opened her ice blue eyes and fixed them on Erin’s, barely able to get the words out.

“Yeah. Come for your professor.”

Erin threw her head back and screamed. Holtzmann didn’t care who heard.

When Erin finally stopped trembling and her moans became soft whimpers, Holtzmann withdrew her fingers, making sure to clean them thoroughly with her tongue. She looked down to see Erin splayed on the desk, shirt open, bra still askew, her legs hanging limply over the side. 

It was one of the hottest scenes she had ever witnessed.

“What are you grinning at? I should wipe it right off your face.”

“You’re welcome to try Er. I doubt you could stand right now if you wanted to.”

Erin exhaled, blowing some of her sweaty bangs off her forehead. “That was good. And so hot. Jesus.”

“Was it? Should your professor try to get speaking engagements on a regular basis? I hear the payment immediately afterward is quite nice.”

“You’re such an ass Holtz.”

“I am.” Holtzmann extended her hand, lifting Erin into a seated position, her girlfriend wrapping still shaky arms around her waist. “But you know you love it.”

“I do.” Erin looked up adoringly at Holtzmann her chin resting on the engineer’s stomach. “And your ass is going to pay once we get home.”

“Oh, is that a promise?” Holtzmann playfully wiggled her eyebrows.

“You bet it is.” Erin winked. “Professor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone need a cold shower? ;)
> 
> On behalf of Holtzbro the Younger (who is headbanging her arse off this weekend), we'd like to thank y'all for your kind comments and encouragement. It still mystifies us that you enjoy our brain droppings so much, but we're glad that you do. A special thank you for our Captain, eevachu, for organizing this once again. You rock!
> 
> The Holtzbros' next collab will be one I'm sure many of you have been eagerly anticipating. You may have to wait awhile, since we're both on holiday for the next couple of weeks. But we assure you, it'll be worth it ;)
> 
> Btw, you can follow us on the Tumblrs - @geekmisconduct and @dreamshapers-universe respectively. Mind the dorkiness.


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